Former New York Rep. George Santos, who was released last week after President Donald Trump commuted his prison sentence, told Newsmax on Sunday that he is “truly repentant” for his past mistakes and hopes to use his second chance to help others rebuild their lives.
“I’m an imperfect, sinning human being,” the former congressman told Newsmax’s “Sunday Agenda” host Lidia Curanaj.
“I have done such silly things,” he added. “I have said such silly things. I have made very poor choices.”
And, Santos said, “the only way for me to rebuild is if I look forward and start rebuilding my life so people can see that I truly am repentant.”
Santos’ remarks come months after his guilty plea in federal court to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, the charges that led to his expulsion from Congress in 2023.
The New York Republican admitted to stealing from political donors, using campaign funds for personal expenses, and lying about his wealth while collecting unemployment benefits.
On Sunday, he offered a direct apology to his former constituents.
“I want to say sorry to anybody that I might have hurt, anybody I crossed paths with, the constituents of the 3rd District of New York, who I had no intention of hurting at all,” Santos said.
“It was an honor of a lifetime to represent them in Congress, and to my voters and donors and supporters, friends and family, it’s a profound sorry,” he continued to Curanaj.
“And I hope that with this second chance, you will give me the opportunity to see what good will come from it.”
Santos said he learned of the commutation while sitting in a cafeteria area at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey.
“I was sitting in a cafeteria area where we do our computers so we can email our families, and all of a sudden everybody was watching the news and they started screaming and like, ‘Oh, you’re going home!’ and I’m like, ‘Stop playing around,'” he recalled.
“I learned through the news, and I called my family, and I spoke to my partner Matt, who said, ‘I just spoke to the president. It’s over. You’re coming home.'”
Trump announced Santos’ commutation on his Truth Social account Friday, ordering his immediate release after less than three months behind bars.
Trump said Santos had been “horribly mistreated” in prison, adding that even though the former congressman is a “rogue,” others guilty of worse offenses were not sentenced to similar lengthy terms.
Santos described learning of his release as deeply emotional, saying it came one day after confession.
The former congressman said he later spoke personally with Trump, calling the conversation “a privilege and honor.”
While he declined to share details, he said they discussed the future.
“President Trump is really one hell of an incredible man,” Santos said. “He was very interested in understanding how I was treated, the fact that I was kept in solitary confinement.”
The experience, Santos said, has motivated him to push for prison reform.
“I told [Trump], I want to get involved with prison reform, and I want to be a part of the team for America,” he said.
“This isn’t about red or blue or right or left; it’s about America fixing and healing Americans who deserve a second chance,” Santos added.
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